UIC is set to begin its 41st season of women’s basketball as they prepare to take on the Drake Bulldogs at the UIC Pavilion on Saturday, Nov. 12. The Flames are under new leadership in 2011-12 as head coach Regina Miller and her staff look to improve upon last year’s fifth-place Horizon League finish. UIC welcomes back Heidi Dahnke and Katie Hannemann from a medical-redshirt season and newcomers Rachel Story, Gisselle Truiett and Tashea Smalls.

It’s Miller TimeThis past April, Regina Miller was announced as the 11th head coach in UIC women’s basketball history. She begins her first season as Flames general after completing 16 years of head coaching experience with stints at UNLV and Western Illinois. Miller’s staff includes assistant coaches Frozena Jerro, Marc Lowe and Amanda VanZeben and Director of Operations Marc Lopez. At UNLV Miller compiled a 175-125 record, including six consecutive postseason appearances, the longest such streak in school history. In 2002, she guided the Lady Rebels to 23 wins which earned them an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. In 2004, Miller led her team to the WNIT Championship game, picking up a school record four postseason victories.

Bailey and Green Eye 1,000 Career PointsSeniors Jasmine Bailey and Shamiea Green are on the verge of becoming just the 16th and 17th players in UIC women’s basketball history to record 1,000 career points. Bailey owns 986 while Green has 971 as the two look to eclipse the four-digit milestone within the first few games of the 2011-12 season. If last year’s scoring averages hold true then Bailey (10.5 ppg) and Green (14.4 ppg) will surpass the mark in the SEMO contest on Nov. 15th at home. The former high school teammates each broke the 1,000 career-point total for the Normandy Vikings in St. Louis, Mo.

Off to a Good StartIn addition to being a proven winner, Regina Miller has a track record of starting off on the right foot. In 16 years as a head coach, Miller has compiled a 10-6 mark in season openers. At Western Illinois she went 3-for-6 in campaign openers, winning her first game at St. Louis, 61-57, on Dec. 2, 1992. At UNLV, Miller tallied a 7-3 record in season openers, claiming victory in her first contest at Loyola Marymount, 62-57, on Nov. 14, 1998.

The Offense ReturnsWith three starters and nine letterwinners returning for UIC, so does over 71% percent of the Flame’s offense. Senior Shamiea Green headlines the group as she averaged 14.4 ppg last season, ranking eighth in the Horizon League. Senior Jasmine Bailey totaled 10.5 ppg while junior Taylor Foulks tallied 10.3 ppg. Seniors Cree Nix, Kiara Strickland and junior Katie Hannemann also return as they averaged 5.3, 4.3 and 4.1 ppg, respectively, last year.

All-League HonorsThe Horizon League recently announced its preseason poll and all-League teams. Senior Jasmine Bailey was voted to the first team, while senior Shamiea Green was picked for the second team, making UIC the only school to be represented on either squad. The Flames were tabbed to finish fifth in the Horizon League, the same spot they tied for last season.

Bailey on the BoardsSenior Jasmine Bailey owns 718 career rebounds and currently ranks sixth on UIC’s all-time leader board. She needs 347 this season to claim the top spot from Lisa Thomas (1975-79) who has 1,065. Last year, Bailey corralled 279 boards which became the 10th highest total in Flames’ single-season history. The St. Louis, Mo., native, paced the team in rebounding in each of her three seasons and is the Horizon League’s second leading returner rebounder from a year ago.

Top of Their ClassSeniors Jasmine Bailey and Shamiea Green are the highest scoring duo in the Horizon League with 1,957 combined career points. The pair also has the opportunity to become UIC’s highest scoring tandem in program history as the top spot is currently held by LaShonda Grant (2002-06) and Krystal Hugelier (2003-06) who have combined for 2,635 points. On top of that, Bailey and Green have logged 5,424 combined minutes throughout their careers which ranks second in the Horizon League among current senior duos. Detroit’s Jalesa Jones and Lauren Allen hold the No. 1 spot with 5,517 minutes.

Taylor MadeJunior Taylor Foulks has been a consistent three-point threat for the Flames the past two seasons and her numbers prove it. Last year Foulks drilled 65 beyond-the-arc shots, which is the fourth-highest single season mark in school history. Her career total of 122 threes ranks sixth in program annals, needing just seven more to move into the fifth spot. Foulks displays no hesitation either as her 201 attempts last season broke a 17-year old UIC record for most three-point shot attempts in a single season.

Welcome NewcomersThe 2011-12 UIC women’s basketball welcome newcomers Rachel Story, Gisselle Truiett and Tashea Smalls to the squad. Story, a transfer from Louisville, will sit out this season due to NCAA transfer rules. The redshirt junior played in 51 games for the Cardinals and helped them advance to the Sweet 16 in her sophomore season. Truiett, Baltimore, Md., native, was a four-year letterwinner from Red Lion High School and was named to the all-state team her senior year. Smalls is a local product from Lincoln Park High School where she lettered all four years and was named MVP during her senior campaign.

NCAA Mandates Nix to Miss First Four Games of the SeasonNCAA Rules and Regulations require that Cree Nix sit out the first four regular season games due to her participation in exhibition games while at Lipscomb University. Nix will be eligible to see action when UIC competes against Central Methodist on November 25, 2011.

Grad School for GreenSenoir Shamiea Green completed her undergrad this past May with a degree in Criminal Justice retaining one year of eligibility due to a medical redshirt her freshman season. Green is currently enrolled in graduate school in the Educational Policy Studies and Instructional Leadership program with aspirations of finishing in one year.